Chicken In Cashew Nut Sauce

This chicken in cashew nut sauce was adapted from a cookbook tittled India's 500 best recepis authored by Shehzad Husain, Rafi Fernandez,Mridula Baljekar and Manisha Kanani. I'm not a cook  book collector but, i can't stop myself from buying this beautiful cookbook which i call as impulse buying.  The book packed with Indian dishes from all over India and scrumptious recepis from savoury to desserts. While flipping the colorful food photos in the book, i got instantly hooked up with this chicken in cashew nut sauce.

Chicken pieces cooked in rich and creamy cashew nut sauce and mildly flavor with  spices. The chicken are moist and absorbed the nutty flavor of the cashew sauce. The original recepi calls for button mushrooms since, i don't have them handy i used enoki or Japanese mushroom and to my delight it tastes wonderful. Lemon juice and tomato puree creates a right balance in this dish, too cut down on the creaminess and sweetness from the cashew and plum sultanas. Best serve with white rice

Ingredients

2 medium onions
500 gm chicken,cleaned
2 cups button/enoki mushrooms
1 1/4 cups water
2 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/2 tsp garam masala
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp natural yogurt
1 tbsp sultanas
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander


Methods

In a food processor or blender, grind the onion,tomato puree,cashew nuts,garam masala,garlic,chilli powder,lemon juice,turmeric and yogurt and grind for 1-2 minutes.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil over a medium flame. Add the ground onion mixture and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the chopped fresh coriander,cleaned chicken and sultanas. Stir fry for about 1 minute.

Add the mushrooms,salt and water. Stir and cover with lid. Reduce flame to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Uncover and stir. Cook uncover for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken cooked through and sauce thickens.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with more chopped fresh coriander.

Organic Rose Milk

My post for today solely dedicating to beat the summer heat. Organic rose milk as it sounds help to soothe heat and keep the body cool. The rose enhance flavorful drink prepared by using organic rose petals which is the special and main ingredient in this beverage. You can use non-organic roses as well but before that make sure to give them a good wash.

I made my own rose syrup and trust me making them at home is as simple as ABC and the end result will surprise you. Store the remaining rose syrup in the refrigerator and use as and when needed. Sometimes i just add them into my fruit juice,cordial or milkshake. One syrup for almost anything and everything. The floral flavor and aroma is simply irresistible in this drink. I used rose essence and rose water to enhance the flavor. Indeed, this organic rose milk is my summer saviour.

Ingredients

1 cup full cream milk,chilled
1/2 cup organic pink rose petals
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 cups water
1 tsp rose water
Few drops rose essence
Few drops red food colouring

Methods

Wash rose petals and soak them in 2 cups of water overnight.

Transfer the soaked rose petals together with the soaking water into a pan. Add food colouring and rose water. Simmer on a medium-low heat for 4-6 minutes.

Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Switch flame to high and bring it to boil. Reduce flame to low and simmer for about 13-15 minutes until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat.

Cool completely and using a strainer, strain the sugar syrup. Discard the remaining rose petals.

Boil milk in a pan and add rose essence. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Chill the milk in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Pour the chilled milk into a serving glass and add 2 tbsp (or as needed) of the prepared rose syrup. Stir well.

Ready to gulp.


Notes

• You can replace organic rose petals with ordinary roses. Make sure to wash them well before soaking overnight.

• Store the left over rose syrup in a bottle and place in the refrigerator. The rose syrup could last as long as 2 weeks.

Carrot Mayo Slaw

As we all know a trip to highlands are not complete without fetching some of their locally grown fresh ingredients. The same happened to me, during my visit to Cameron Highland one of the famous tourist spot in Malaysia. Well known for its cool climate,sweet plump strawberries and abundance of locally grown fresh vegetables. I couldn't resist from grabbing few bundles of fresh picked carrot from an old Chinese uncle's farm.

I made carrot mayo slaw with the fresh carrot and black raisins. This quick and simple recipe can be prepared in less than 5 minutes. Dump all the ingredients in a big bowl and toss well for a flavorful slaw. Carrots are loaded with Vitamin A and good for your eyes that's another reason why you should try the recipe in your kitchen. The bright orange colour of the shredded carrot was damn attractive in the salad. Crunchy carrot,sweet raisins and creamy rich mayonnaise all mixed and served in a big salad bowl. The slaw are best eaten cold

Ingredient

2 cups shredded carrot
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp low fat milk
Pinch of salt


Methods

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise,milk and salt. Stir well until the salt completely dissolved

In a large bowl, add the shredded carrot and raisins.

Pour the mayonnaise dressing into the carrot mixture and toss well to combined.

Transfer into a salad bowl and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes

Serve cold

Capsicum Pulao

I can be greedy sometimes which always ended up with left over food in my fridge and the very next day i have to flip cookbooks or cracking my head searching for recipes for my left over. I had a full bowl of left over basmati rice in my fridge from last night dinner and you know well how expensive the grains are to simply dumb into a bin instead, i decided to throw them into my pan with some spices and fresh capsicum.

Capsicum pulao is a mild, simple pulao which can be served with any gravy of your choice. This rice dish loaded with aromatic spices and richness from the ground cashew paste. I used green,red and yellow capsicums for their flavor and colur. I love the colur combination from the tri-colured capsicum in the dish and its absolutely gorgeous. Capsicum are known for their anti oxidant properties which, are great for fighting free radicals in human body. Capsicums are packed with Vitamin C and do you need any more reason or excuse to dish out this colurful rice on your dinner table tonight??

Ingredients

1/3 cup chopped capsicum(red,yellow and green)
1 cup cooked basmati rice
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 cardamom pods
1 star anise
3 4 cloves
1/2' inch cinnamon stick
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste

To Grind

6-8 cashew nuts
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp black peppercorns


Methods

In a blender or grinder, grind cashew nuts,black peppercorns and garlic with little water into a fine paste.

In a pan, over a medium heat, add oil and ghee. Saute the star anise,cloves,cardamom and cinnamon stick for 15 seconds.

Add the ground cashew paste and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped capsicum. Fry for 4-6 minutes.

Add garam masala powder and salt. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked basmati rice and mix well to combine with the masala. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the rice well coated with the masala. Remove from heat.

Serve hot

Mango Kulfi

Mango season is here to celebrate and you can find them in almost every fruit hawkers and wet market or even shopping complex. The sight of beautiful golden yellow fruit with amazing sweet scent of ripe mangoes is something irresistible. Furthermore, summer are in the peak which will make you drooling for something freezing cold to soothe the dry throat. What can be the best other than the sound of mango kulfi.

I love the wonderful fruity smell of mangoes. Always use the best variety of fresh mango for the best end result. Do not compromise on that. I used Alphonsa mangoes if you can't get them in your area, any good variety of mangoes will do.  I used almond milk in the recipe for its richness and nutty flavor but you can substitute them with fresh milk too. The almond paste enhance the almond flavor of the kulfi. The almond slivers gives a nice crunch to the creamy cold dessert. A perfect summer dessert.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups almond milk
2 1/2 cups mango puree
3 tbsp almond paste
5 green cardamom, crushed
8-10 saffron strands
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 tbsp corn flour (dissolved in 3 tbsp milk)
2 tbsp almond slivers


Methods

In a pan, combined almond milk and saffron. On a low flame, heat the almond milk. Do not boil the milk.

Add sugar and stir till sugar completely dissolved.

Add the crushed cardamom and dissolved rice flour. Stir constantly to avoid lumps.

Stir till the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Add the almond paste and stir well. Keep aside to cool.

Add the mango puree and stir to combined.

Pour the mixture into kulfi moulds and freeze for 6-8 hours or till set.

Unmould the kulfi and serve with almond slivers